On the afternoon of Oct. 21 in the Flag Room at Keene State College, a Vermont Senator discussed the important issues of the country and the importance of getting involved in the wake of the upcoming election.
Student Body President Bobby Graham introduced Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders on behalf of the American Democracy Project at KSC, who sponsored the event.
Senator Sanders said that political scientists estimate that 60 percent of people in the United States will not vote in this upcoming election and 80 percent of young people will not vote. He stated, “There are polls out there that say over sixty-percent of the American people cannot tell us which political party controls the United States Senate.”
He explained further that most people do not know who their member of Congress is for their specific state.
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Sanders said, “Since the Wall Street crash of 2008, ninety-five percent of all new income goes to the top one-percent.”
He explained that the United States has the greatest economic inequality out of all the major countries.
He stated that the top one-percent owns 37 percent of all the wealth in the United States, while the bottom 60 percent of people own less than two percent of the wealth. Sanders said, “The wealth rests in the hands of the millionaires.”
In addition, according to Sanders, wealthy families like the Waltons of Wal-Mart and the Koch Brothers have sway in the campaign process if they choose. Sanders said the Koch Brothers are investing about $400 million in this political campaign.
Sanders explained that not only do they get a vote, but also with the money they are investing they get to control the election. He stated that he does not believe this is what the U.S. founders had in mind.
According to Patrick Dolenc, an economics professor at Keene State College, economic inequality is the biggest issue in the U.S. today. Dolenc said, “Those countries that have the highest value of economic inequality like the U.S. have measure after measure of social problems with people in jail, more health issues, more poverty that affects children and more violence.”
In addition, Dolenc stated that at the top of the scale, the U.S. has to rethink the tax structure in order for billionaires and large corporations to pay taxes.
According to Sanders the next step is, “I would work hard at the bottom.” He continued, “He talked about minimum wage, he talked about healthcare and he talked about living wage that support people at the low end of the scale.”
For the middle class, Sanders explained that the U.S. has to return to treating education like a “public good” or else students will be struggling to pay off debt and start a life after college.
Nick Carter, the managing director of the Senate Campaign Committee, said that the economic disparity and disenfranchising of the political process is most important.
Carter stated, “Politics take a third or fourth or fifth place in their life just because they have so many demands. And a lot of people feel cut out of the political process because of how much money plays a role.”
Meanwhile, Sanders explained that news and other reports tell the citizens that unemployment is at about six percent. He said, “If you add in those people that have given up looking for work or those people looking part-time or full-time, then real unemployment is close to twelve percent.”
Sanders continued by saying that youth unemployment is at 20 percent and African-American unemployment is around 30 percent.
Sanders said, “Your generation, for those of you that are students, will in all likelihood be the first generation in the modern history of America to have a lower standard of living than your parents.”
In order to create jobs, Sanders said, “The world of infrastructure, like roads, bridges, water systems and wastewater systems, we need about three-trillion dollars worth of work to repair these.”
Sanders explained if the country spent one-third of that then about 13 million jobs would be created. Sanders stated that minimum wage increase is important to increase the standard of living.
He also stated the trade policy needs to be changed. According to Sanders, free trade with China has eliminated about 60,000 factories in the United States.
Sanders explained if the U.S. were to bring those factories back and cut-off the amount of trade, then the jobs would be created in the United States.
Sanders explained that Denmark and other countries around the world guarantee health care to its citizens, while the U.S. is the only country that does not.
Sanders said the reasoning for young people’s inactivity is that today’s culture is about sports and partying, not things such as politics.
“That is not an accident, because people do not want young people to vote. And so we don’t hear about things in the media, serious discussion about serious issues, and that’s one of the reasons,” Sanders continued.
Suzanne Buckley, a community member, said about the inactivity of young people that, “They perhaps don’t see the immediacy or long history of this country in terms of its evolution and it’s need to be aware of the issues.” She explained that technology today could be a tool that helps these young people become more involved though.
Buckley stated, “It’s really a matter of choice, what do I need to know and how do I find out.”
Jeff Lunn can be contacted Jeffrey.Lunn@ksc.keene.edu